8510 - WELLNESS

Lakeland School Corporation

Bylaws & Policies

8510 - WELLNESS

As required by law, the School Board establishes the following wellness policy for the School Corporation as a part of a comprehensive wellness initiative.

The Board recognizes that good nutrition and regular physical activity affect the health and well-being of the Corporation's students. Furthermore, research suggests that there is a positive correlation between a student's health and well-being and his/her ability to learn. Moreover, schools can play an important role in the developmental process by which students establish their health and nutrition habits by providing nutritious meals and snacks through the schools' meal programs, by supporting the development of good eating habits, and by promoting increased physical activity both in and out of school.

Schools alone, however, cannot develop in students healthy behaviors and habits with regard to eating and exercise. It will be necessary for not only the staff but also parents and the public at large to be involved in a community-wide effort to promote, support, and model such healthy behaviors and habits.

The Board sets the following goals in an effort to enable students to establish good health and nutrition habits:

A.	With regard to nutrition education:

	Nutrition education shall be included in the health curriculum so that instruction is sequential and standards-based and provides students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to lead healthy lives.

B.	With regard to physical activity:

	1.	Physical Education

		A sequential, comprehensive physical education program shall be provided for students in K-12 in accordance with the physical education academic content standards and benchmarks adopted by the State.


	2.	Physical Activity

		Physical activity and movement shall be integrated, when possible, across the curricula and throughout the school day.

C.	With regard to other school-based activities:

	1.	The schools shall schedule mealtimes so there is minimum disruption by bus schedules, recess, and other special programs or events.

	2.	The school shall provide attractive, clean environments in which the students eat.

	3.	Activities, such as tutoring or club meetings, shall not be scheduled during mealtimes, unless students may eat during those meetings.

	4.	Students, parents, and other community members shall have access to, and be encouraged to use, the school's outdoor physical activity facilities outside the normal school day.

	5.	An organized wellness program shall be available to all staff.

	6.	The schools may use environmentally friendly practices, such as the use of locally grown foods and non-disposable tableware and dishes.


	7.	The schools may provide opportunities for staff, parents, and other community members to model healthy eating habits by dining with students in the school dining areas.

	8.	The schools may demonstrate support for the health of all students by hosting health clinics and screenings and encouraging parents to enroll their eligible children in Medicaid or in other children's health insurance programs for which they may qualify.

	9.	Schools in our system utilize electronic identification and payment systems, therefore, eliminating any stigma or identification of students eligible to receive free and/or reduced meals.

	10.	Students are discouraged from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some students' diets.

D.	With regard to nutrition promotion, any foods and beverages marketed or promoted to students on the school campus, during the school day, will meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.

	Additionally, the Corporation shall:

	1.	encourage students to increase their consumption of healthful foods during the school day;

	2.	create an environment that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits, including offering the following healthy foods:

		a.	a variety of fresh produce to include those prepared without added fats, sugars, refined sugars, and sodium

		b.	a variety of vegetables daily to include specific subgroups as defined by dark green, red/orange, legumes, and starchy


	c.	whole grain products - half of all grains need to be whole grain-rich upon initial implementation and all grains must be whole grain-rich within two (2) years of implementation

	d.	fluid milk that is fat-free (unflavored and flavored) and low-fat (unflavored)

	e.	meals designed to meet specific calorie ranges for age/grade groups

3.	eliminate trans-fat from school meals;

4.	require that all foods and beverages sold as fundraisers on the school campus during the school day shall meet the USDA Competitive Food regulations;

5.	discourage rewarding children in the classroom with candy and other foods that can undermine children’s diets and health and reinforce unhealthy eating habits. A wide variety of alternative rewards can be used to provide positive reinforcement for children’s behavior and academic performance.

Furthermore, with the objectives of enhancing student health and well being, and reducing childhood obesity, the following guidelines are established:

	A.	In accordance with Policy 8500, entitled Food Service, the food service program shall comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the selection, preparation, consumption, and disposal of food and beverages as well as to the fiscal management of the program.

	B.	The sale of foods of minimal nutritional value in the food service area during the lunch period is prohibited.


	C.	As set forth in Policy 8531, entitled Free and Reduced Price Meals, the guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

	D.	The sale to students of foods and beverages that do not meet the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards to be consumed on the school campus during the school day is prohibited. Competitive foods available for purchase by students à la carte in the dining area, foods or beverages sold from vending machines, and foods and beverages provided by the school or school staff for classroom parties or holiday celebrations are subject to this prohibition.

	E.	All foods that are provided, not sold, on the school campus during the school day, including foods and beverages provided for classroom parties or holiday celebrations shall comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.

	F.	All food items and beverages available for sale to students for consumption on campus between midnight and thirty (30) after the close of the regular school day shall comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including, but not limited to, competitive foods that are available to students à la carte in the dining area, as well as food items and beverages from vending machines, school stores, or fund-raisers by student clubs and organizations, parent groups, or boosters clubs.

	G.	The school food service program may involve students, staff, and/or school officials in the selection of competitive food items to be sold in the schools.

	H.	Any food items sold for consumption on campus from thirty (30) minutes after the end of the last lunch period until thirty (30) minutes after the school day ends in a fundraiser by approved student clubs and organizations and Corporation support organizations shall meet the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Board designates the Superintendent as the individual(s) charged with operational responsibility for measuring and evaluating the Corporation's implementation and progress under this policy.

The Superintendent shall appoint a Corporation wellness committee that includes meets at least four (4) times per year and may include parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, nutritionists or certified dieticians, educational staff (including health and physical education teachers), mental health and social services staff, school health professionals, the School Board, school administrators, and members of the public to oversee the development, implementation, evaluation, and periodic update, if necessary, of the wellness policy.

The Superintendent shall be an ex officio member of the committee.

The wellness committee shall be an ad hoc committee of the Board with members recruited and appointed annually.

The wellness committee shall:

	A.	assess the current environment in each of the Corporation’s schools;

	B.	measure the implementation of the Corporation’s wellness policy in each of the Corporation’s schools;

	C.	review the Corporation’s current wellness policy;

	D.	recommend revision of the policy, as appropriate; and

	E.	present the wellness policy, with any recommended revisions, to the Board for approval or re-adoption if revisions are recommended.

Before the end of each school year the wellness committee shall submit to the Superintendent and Board their report in which they describe the environment in each of the Corporation’s schools and the implementation of the wellness policy in each school, and identify any revisions to the policy the committee deems necessary. In its review, the Wellness Committee shall consider evidence-based strategies in determining its recommendations.

The Superintendent shall report annually to the Board on the work of the wellness committee, including their assessment of the environment in the Corporation, their evaluation of wellness policy implementation Corporation-wide, and the areas for improvement, if any, that the committee identified. The committee also shall report on the status of compliance by individual schools and progress made in attaining goals established in the policy.

The Superintendent also shall be responsible for informing the public, including parents, students and community members, on the content and implementation of this policy. In order to inform the public, the Superintendent shall post the wellness policy on the Corporation’s website, including the assessment of the implementation of the policy prepared by the Corporation.

The Corporation shall assess the Wellness Policy at least once every three (3) years on the extent to which schools in the Corporation are in compliance with the Corporation policy, the extent to which the Corporation policy compares to model wellness policies, and the progress made in attaining the goals of the Corporation Wellness Policy. To ensure continuing progress, the Corporation will evaluate implementation efforts and their impact on students and staff using the following tool: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/shi/index.htm.

The assessment shall be made available to the public on the School Corporation’s website.

Food and beverage marketing that allow marketing and advertising on only those foods and beverages that meet the Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.

I.C. 20-26-9-18
42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.
42 U.S.C. 1758b
42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.
7 C.F.R. Parts 210 and 220